Newburyport Police to Participate in National Drug Take Back Day

NEWBURYPORT — City Marshal Mark Murray reports that the Newburyport Police Department is participating in National Drug Take Back Day next weekend.

On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., officers will be on-hand at the Newburyport Police Department, 4 Green St., to collect old, unwanted, or unneeded prescriptions. The event is free of charge.

“This is a great opportunity for residents to take a look through their medicine cabinets to find any old and unused prescription drugs to properly dispose of during this Take Back Day event,” Marshal Murray said. “We hope to see community members take a proactive step in preventing drug abuse and misuse.”

Drug Take Back Day is a semi-annual event that is administered by the Drug Enforcement Administration. During the last take back, on April 29, the event brought in 900,386 pounds (450 tons) at close to 5,500 sites across the nation.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day initiative addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.

“Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That’s dangerous and often tragic,” said Acting DEA Administrator Robert W. Patterson. “That’s why it was great to see thousands of folks from across the country clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in – safely and anonymously – a record amount of prescription drugs.”

The department will accept pills and patches, but cannot take liquids, needles or sharps. To arrange for the disposal of those items, contact the Newburyport Board of Health at 978-465-4410.